One morning, I opened my emails and saw a message containing this subject line:

“You’ve probably heard this lots of times but your book really has saved my life! Thank you!”

Obviously, I was very curious. I opened that email first and here’s what I read:

“Hello Denise,

I recently discovered your book while trying to get my life back on track. I have just been through an extremely rough patch and I was worried about everything that was happening. I wouldn’t leave my bedroom, let alone the house, to go to work or shopping. I wouldn’t talk to anyone at all—not even my family and friends.

Then one day, a close friend came round to my house and came into my room (which I hadn’t been out of in 4 weeks.) She handed me your book CALM and said to me, “Do not leave this room until you have at least read the first chapter.”

I said to her, “I am never leaving this room again so put it on the shelf. I will get round to it when I feel like it if ever.”

She said, “I promise you after reading the first chapter, you will find some strength to carry on in your life.”

I still do not know what said to me Louise read that book. But, whatever it was I am glad I did it! My first impressions were, Yeah, ok. How is a book going to save my life from going any lower and being suicidal?

I did read the first chapter and found some strength. I also read the second, third, fourth and fifth the same day, and at 4 o’clock that day, I took my first steps down stairs in four weeks, I had my first proper meal in four weeks, I spoke to somebody again.

All because your book taught me that I have to take control of what I can and let go of what I can’t control. Also that everyone can make mistakes; we are all just human. But most importantly it taught me that I am not the only one in the world to worry about life and what is going to happen next or who might say something that is going to upset me or whether I am going to have the right attitude to succeed, it even taught me that no matter what I still have rights. Your book currently goes everywhere with me in my bag and, if I am struggling, I open it up and read a random double page and manage to gain some strength out of it to carry on.

This all happened six months ago. I am now about to take one of the biggest steps in those six months and that is returning to work and your book will be with me and I will definitely be reading it on the way to work and right up to the minute that I start to get myself in the right frame of mind.

I guess you hear this a lot from different people but I really do need to thank you from the bottom of my heart because without the strength your book has given me I wouldn’t be here today to be able to write this to you. Thank you!”

— Louise, From the U.K.

Thank you Louise. This means so much to me.

Please note, if you’re feeling depressed, make sure to reach out to a medical professional for help. You’re not alone.